A Noble Quest
by shwaronand
Summary: "It will be a noble quest brother" ... "Just like the legends of Old" ... they both broke out into identical grins. Young Thor and Loki set out on one of their adventures, accompanied by Sif and the Warriors Three. It ends up turning into something more as they face unexpected dangers, old wounds are reopened, and long buried secrets come to light.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The street was silent and eerie, bathed in the half-light of approaching dawn. The residents of the modest houses lining both sides of the street appeared to be fast asleep, as was the case within most homes in Asgard, at this hour. Suddenly, one of the doors was flung open and a tall woman wearing pale blue robes and carrying a bulky brown bag walked out briskly. She was followed closely by a second woman who was practically running to keep up with her. The first woman stopped a short distance away from the threshold of the house and turned back to the young woman behind her.

The older woman spoke in a firm and reassuring voice, "Go and inform Hendi. Then go home, there is nothing left for us to do here." The young woman nodded and set off towards the northernmost part of the city, while the first woman went in the opposite direction, making her way towards the Vyalli River which flowed nearby.

The narrow twisting streets led to a wider main road; the Vyalli River flowed parallel to the road, dividing the capital city in half. She walked along the main road that was mostly empty at this early hour, until she came to a bridge that crossed over the river into the southern half of the city. But instead of crossing, she walked down a narrow set of steps right next to the bridge and found herself on the banks of the Vyalli.

She stood there for a while gazing at the clear, calm waters of the river. Then she placed her bag on a convenient rock and walked steadily into the river till the water level reached just below her neck. She took a deep breath then submerged her head below the surface. She emerged from the river a few minutes later, shivering slightly; the river had not yet been warmed by the sun. She collected her bag and climbed back up onto the main road.

The city was now coming alive; the early risers of Asgard were trickling onto the road, some hurrying to their place of work, others enjoying a morning stroll. Many of them stared at her as she crossed the bridge; the tall, aloof royal healer walked quickly through the crowds. The citizens of Asgard gave her a wide berth as she made her way towards the royal palace.

Eir could see the curious looks on their faces. " _Who has died?_ ", they asked one another in lowered voices as she walked past them. They would not question her and she would not stop to answer. Their curiosity would be satisfied soon enough. Old Hendi would turn up at the death house in a while, dressed in his ceremonial white robes. The kind old man would handle the grief of the inhabitants and take charge of all the practical aspects of death. He would register the death in his books, provide counsel to the bereaved, and make the funeral arrangements _._ That was Hendi's job – to deal with the aftermath of death _. "It was my job to prevent it"_ , Eir thought bitterly.

She was outside the palace gates where a few guards were chatting and laughing boisterously. The guards fell silent in respect when they saw Eir and took in her appearance. They bowed their heads and allowed her entry into the palace grounds. She walked the familiar path to the medical center, which was located in a corner of the vast grounds. She entered her quarters and looked out through the windows at the magnificent structure right in the middle of the grounds. The palace gleamed like gold in the morning light; the glorious blue sky of a perfect summer day in Asgard hung overhead.


	2. A Healer's Resolve

**A Healer's Resolve**

Eir had started on her morning rounds of the healing rooms. She stopped next to the bed of one of the palace guards who appeared to have broken his leg. Jugen had finished setting the bone and was bandaging up the guard's leg.

Jugen looked up at Eir and said, "Lady Eir, I didn't expect you this morning. I heard that you and Pakshi were called out to the city late last night. I haven't seen Pakshi this morning, were you out all night? Is she still on that case?"

"I sent Pakshi home to get some rest. She will take the evening shift today", said Eir. Jugen must have sensed something in her tone; he refrained from asking further questions in front of his patient. He quickly changed the subject, "Gendry here was just telling me how he broke his leg, and it's quite a funny story."

The sheepish expression on the guard's face coupled with Jugen's barely concealed amusement was enough to convince Eir that this might be worth hearing. "Is that so Gendry? How did it happen?" she asked.

Gendry was just about to launch into his story when Eir sensed a light chill in the air. She turned around to see Loki, the younger prince of Asgard standing at the entrance to the room. Eir ran her practiced healer's eye over him noting that he was neatly dressed in a blue tunic and black trousers, his dark hair falling in curls to just below his ears. He looked fresh and well rested and Eir could see no sign of injury so she just raised her eyebrows waiting for him to address her.

"Good Morning, Lady Eir", said Loki with a most charming smile that seemed to indicate he was very pleased with himself this morning. Not that Loki's smiles could be trusted as a reliable indication of his moods anymore, she reminded herself. Though the mischievous twinkle in his eyes still gave the game away and for that she was grateful.

"Good Morning, Loki. What can I help you with?" she asked even though she had gathered that he was not here to request her services.

"Quite the contrary, Lady Eir, it is I who have been sent to help you. Major Kani has instructed me to report to you every morning for the next week as punishment, so –

Any equipment that needs cleaning,

Any patients that need screening,

Any draughts that need brewing,

Any mundane tasks that need doing,

Do not fear Madam, You have your Man", Loki broke out into an impromptu song.

"If you are finished being silly then get in here", Eir ordered strictly. It would not do to encourage Loki's aptitude for verbal rhymes. She knew from experience that the boy could effortlessly keep this up for hours and she wasn't quite in the mood for it after the night she had just had. Loki took the hint and walked over in silence.

Loki flashed a quick grin at Jugen and then glanced over at Gendry. "I see you are Suri's latest victim, how long did you last?" Loki asked Gendry. Eir let out a sigh of exasperation as she glared at the young guard, "Is that how you broke your leg?" she asked him. Suri was the name given by the palace guards to the untamed wildebeest that had strayed into the palace grounds a few weeks ago. They had taken it upon themselves to try and tame the animal by trying to ride atop it. It had turned into a stupid competition among the young guards.

Gendry nodded, his cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. "I managed three rounds around the training grounds, but then she started kneeling on the ground and jumping back up into the air in rapid succession. That's when I lost my grip and went flying into a tree." he said.

Loki nodded and said, "Three rounds is pretty good." Gendry perked up at this and said, "Deosan says he did five rounds last week but everyone knows he is lying".

"Yes Deosan also once claimed that he had singlehandedly fought and killed an entire flock of Toghills. Best take what he says with a pinch of salt. Though perhaps it may be best to leave poor Suri in peace, she seems quite determined to be untamed. After all not all beasts can be tamed, some spirits are meant to roam freely" Loki mused.

The guard nodded enthusiastically, pleased at all the attention from the young Prince. Eir hoped he would take Loki's advice to heart but she still made a mental note to herself to have a word with Chief Guard Chartak and ask him to put a stop to this foolish game.

"So what did you do this time?" Jugen asked curiously as he finished wrapping up Gendry's leg, fully prepared for an account of Loki's latest antics.

"Nothing really, Minister Hadini was giving a speech yesterday at the evening assembly. It was quite a long speech and I think the poor man's throat must have dried up. For some reason his voice began trilling at a most shrill, alarming pitch towards the end of the speech. Sounded like a dying wood thrush going on and on about trade tariffs between Asgard and Alfheim. Then his robes started flashing in many wonderful colours. He still managed to finish his speech; you truly have to admire his persistence. But since I was present among the attendees, I ended up getting blamed for upsetting the decorum of the proceedings", Loki finished with a straight face.

Jugen broke out into a low chuckle – "I wish I could have seen that", he said. Gendry was highly amused as well and even Eir's lips twitched slightly. Minister Hadini was well known for taking every opportunity to give boring and long winded speeches. It was the running joke that even Asgard's most strong willed warriors would fail the test of endurance that was listening to Hadini's complete speeches without falling asleep.

"I can't imagine your father was happy about this", Eir said putting on a stern face in an attempt to hide her mirth. She regretted it the next instant as the light faded slightly from Loki's eyes at the mention of his father.

"He gave me the usual lecture last night… you are not a child anymore… evening assembly is not the time or place for your pranks… learn to act more responsibly, etc. etc. As expected, he left my punishment up to Old Kani and so here I am", Loki recited with a cheerful smile but Eir noticed that this time it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Major Kani does seem to like sending you here; he is getting quite predictable in his old age", said Eir.

"Well he is terrified of you, and he is convinced that I am too", said Loki in an exaggerated whisper.

"You must know that you are welcome to visit here anytime. There is no need for such elaborate mischief", Eir remarked dryly.

"Why thank you Lady Eir, I always knew that deep down you truly appreciated my company", replied Loki, winking at her. Eir decided not to dignify that with a response though in all honesty she knew she did have something of a soft spot for Loki. She did appreciate his sharp intellect, constant curiosity, and his fierce drive to keep learning – all characteristics of a great student.

Eir had been pleasantly surprised when she discovered that Loki had the natural talent required for the healing sciences. In fact if it weren't for his royal status she would surely have offered him an apprenticeship by now. But as things stood, she was perfectly happy to let Loki pick up a few useful skills during his occasional stints at the medical center. Given how the young Royal Princes and their group of friends seemed to have a proclivity for exciting and dangerous activities, it was probably a very good idea for someone in the group to have some ability in this area.

"Alright let me see… the Beraht Machine needs recalibrating, you know how it works right? You can do that first and then just help out Jugen for the rest of the morning", she instructed. Loki nodded and left making his way towards the equipment room. Eir turned back to Gendry and started lecturing him on the need to rest his leg properly for the next few days in order for it to heal quickly.

* * *

Eir had completed her morning rounds and finally had a few moments for herself. She walked over to Frigga's gardens and sat down on a cool stone slab. The gardens were lovely at this time of year – rare and colourful summer flowers were seen in full bloom, the pear and apricot trees were ripe with tasty fruits, a gentle, soothing breeze blew in from the western gate. It was probably the most beautiful and peaceful place in the entire city, but Eir could not find any measure of peace. She tried her best to soak up some of the warmth and cheer from the garden, but her thoughts kept circling back to the events of the previous night.

 _Shadows danced across the wall of the small room. The room was simply furnished. A large bright lamp hung in a corner. The tiny fireplace lay bare, which was to be expected during the warm summer months of Asgard. A lovely tapestry depicting a flock of swans swimming in a lake decorated one wall. A large bed and dressing table were the main items of furniture in the room._

 _All the occupants in the room were currently crowded around the bed. Eir stood next to the bed attending to Rosna who was three hours into labour. Rosna's elderly mother was on the other side of the bed holding her daughter's hand and whispering reassuring words to her. Pakshi, Eir's efficient assistant, stood attentively near the foot of the bed quick to anticipate Eir's instructions. Manu, Rosna's husband, peered into the room from the doorway, his face creased with worry. A kind of tension had built up in the room. "It is time", said Eir in her calm, reassuring voice. Rosna cried out in pain as her child finally entered the world._

 _Eir held the child in her arms as Pakshi severed the link between mother and child. "You are blessed with a daughter", declared Pakshi. Rosna lay back on the bed exhausted but deliriously happy. Rosna's mother and husband broke into wide smiles at the news. The birth of a couple's first child was considered as one of the most auspicious events in the life of an Aesir. Manu was already making plans for the naming ceremony._

 _However, Eir's face remained serious as she examined the child. She tilted the child cautiously in her arms and gave it a few pats on the back trying to clear the air passage. The child gasped weakly and started breathing. "Why doesn't she cry", asked Rosna's mother. Eir continued her examination in silence trying to ignore the growing sense of dread in her heart. "No not another one", she thought, praying that her natural instincts as a healer were wrong, just this once. She reached out with her seidr and enveloped the baby girl in it, checking all vital signs and ticking off symptoms in her head. Her shoulders slumped when she caught sight of the telltale reddish purple specks on the child's feet._

 _The smiles in the room had faded. "What's wrong?" asked Manu. "Let me hold her", said Rosna. Pakshi abandoned her ministrations at Rosna's bedside and joined Eir. "It's not…?" asked Pakshi. Eir looked up from the baby and gave a curt nod to Pakshi who could not suppress a gasp of horror. "Tell us what ails the child", Manu snapped at Pakshi. She averted her gaze and looked towards Eir with pleading eyes. Eir closed her eyes for a second and then turned to face Manu, straightening her shoulders and standing tall. Eir spoke loudly and clearly, "I am sorry Manu, but the child is showing all the signs of the blood sickness"._

 _She was met with shocked silence for an instant as she paused to allow her words to sink in. Manu tried to remember what he knew about the blood sickness. He recalled that it was a very rare and dangerous illness that affected newborns. Rosna spoke out, "What are you saying? No it can't be… the blood sickness is so rare… you must be mistaken. It's probably some other simple ailment." Eir shook her head, "No Rosna, I have seen cases before. I am sure of this."_

 _Rosna's mother stepped forward quietly and took the newborn from Eir's hands. The old woman peered closely at the baby, examining the child's legs and looking into its mouth. After a few moments she sighed and gently brushed her hand over the child's forehead and through its hair. She handed the child back to Eir and nodded in agreement._

 _Manu blustered, "But you can cure her can't you? You are the best healer in all of Asgard". Eir's face must have given away her answer because Rosna cried out, "So you are not going to do anything? You will just let her die?" in a voice laced with despair. "I will do everything in my power. But I cannot give you any false hope. Such cases usually prove fatal" said Eir as she began her work. She had tried not to be overly harsh but she knew that such cases always proved fatal. There was not a single documented case of a newborn surviving the blood sickness. The child would die in a few hours but Eir would abide by her vows and do all she could. Pakshi joined her and they both knew it was going to be a long night._

 _Four long hours had passed. Pakshi glanced out the window and saw faint streaks in the sky which signaled that Asgard's golden dawn was soon approaching. Eir had worked tirelessly but they had just delayed the inevitable_ _and now they both knew it was pointless to continue. The child was barely responsive and was minutes from death. The family were all in the room, tears streaming quietly down their faces._

 _Eir gently picked up the child and handed it to her mother. Rosna took the precious bundle in her arms and looked down into her daughter's face. Manu sat down next to her and put his arm around his wife. Rosna's mother stood next to the window looking on stoically, her dark eyes glittering in the light. Eir and Pakshi retreated to the doorway and allowed the family some privacy. Manu gently stroked the child's cheek. "She even has the same crooked nose as you", he said sadly to Rosna. "And your stubborn chin", said Rosna. A faraway look came into her eyes and she whispered quietly, "Lahja that is her name"._

 _The room went silent and there was nothing left to do but wait. Seconds stretched into minutes, time itself seemed to slow down, a reluctant accomplice to this awful crime. And then finally it was over. Eir moved in and confirmed the death. Rosna broke down into loud sobs as Manu looked on helplessly. The old woman enveloped her daughter firmly in her arms and said, "The Norns have been very unkind to us this day, Rosna. But take strength my daughter; for they must repay us someday for the cruel trick they have played on us today."_

 _Eir placed her hand on Manu's shoulder, "I am truly sorry my friend. I will send word to Hendi", she said. She left the room with a heavy heart and was greeted by the pleasant odour of fragrant wood as she stepped into the outer room. Manu and Rosna hailed from the outer province of Gnuri, famous for its talented craftsmen. They had moved to the capital city just seven years ago and set up shop but they had already made a name for themselves. One of Rosna's tapestries even hung in Queen Frigga's tea room._

 _Eir could see the tools of Manu's trade neatly arranged in one half of the room. Her eyes landed on the lovingly crafted wooden cradle standing in a corner. She had admired the beautiful piece of work on her way in, the previous night, but now the empty cradle seemed to be mocking her._

Eir suddenly stood up, filled with a familiar sense of resolve and walked purposefully out of Queen Frigga's garden.

* * *

 **The idea for a young Thor & Loki story has been brewing in my head for a while so I decided to finally start writing it down. Any reviews, comments and criticisms would be greatly appreciated, so please let me know what you think :)**


	3. The Arrogance of Youth

**The Arrogance of Youth**

Eir slammed another book shut with a sigh. She must have combed through at least two dozen books in the medicine and healing section of the royal library over the past two days, spending her afternoons looking for mentions of the blood disease in newborns. There was very little literature on the subject to begin with and her research had not yet uncovered anything useful. She could feel her resolve fading as she scanned through several texts that just rehashed the same few paragraphs of basic information and contributed nothing beyond her existing knowledge of the illness.

 _"_ _My, my, you really aren't one for patience, are you?'_ Panini's sharp voice echoed in her mind. Her eyes were drawn to the large tome that was left lying on the side of the desk – "A Comprehensive Guide to Healing – by Panini"; it was her old personal copy. She picked it up and aimlessly flicked through the heavily annotated pages. _"Now you are just wasting time",_ she chided herself. She had committed the entirety of this particular book to memory ages ago but her fingers still turned the pages to the section on illnesses and arrived at the relevant passage.

 ** _Ondaveri (Blood Sickness)_** _–_ _observed only in new born infants – no discernible symptoms or post birth complications seen in the mother –_ _ **Symptoms**_ _– lack of response to stimulus - difficulty breathing - petechiae on extremities - pale gums –_ _ **Causes –**_ _uncertain - thought to be a disorder of the blood –_ _ **Prognosis**_ _– extremely poor – fatality rate of 100% - rapid progression resulting in systemic failure and death within hours of birth –_ _ **Treatment**_ _– seidr assistance may help with temporary alleviation of symptoms - note that seidr intervention loses potency and proves ineffective beyond a couple of hours - no proven cure or treatment methods for long term survival exist._

"That's all you had to say? Not exactly very comprehensive, Panini", Eir grumbled under her breath. She knew she wasn't exactly being fair to her old mentor. Panini's book was one of the most widely revered texts in the field of healing but his main focus had always been battlefield healing. Eir doubted he had ever had the time to study obscure infant illnesses in much detail given his involvement in nine major wars and around three dozen battles during the course of his career. He was renowned for his prodigious talent and his ability to maintain his cool even in the most stressful of situations.

Eir could still remember Panini's favourite speech where he likened battlefield healing to constantly being in the eye of a storm. "It's our job to survive chaos and disorder, to be calm and deliberate in the face of death, and to channel our skills towards the best possible outcome. There is only one way to ensure this", he would growl, his dark eyes glaring out at his students from underneath fierce, hawk-like eyebrows – "practice, practice and then more practice."

"You need to build confidence in your instincts and abilities – in the midst of battle, there will be no time for fear or doubt, no time to sit around and think, there will only be time enough to act. You must be able to find the eye of the storm and remain steadily rooted right there – no matter what is happening around you." he would lecture.

Eir had trained diligently for centuries, following his lead, and rising through the ranks as a battlefield healer herself. It had been one of the most satisfying moments of her life when after the Battle of Veraden, Panini had remarked, "Eir, I have never seen anyone thrive in chaos quite as well as you." But the instincts of a battlefield healer were hardly useful to her in this current scenario, cooped up in the royal library and trying to make sense of a senseless illness.

 _"_ _Maybe I need to expand my search",_ Eir thought to herself. She looked around at the vast Royal Library of Asgard; one of the largest knowledge repositories in the nine realms. The building had four levels above the ground, two basement levels which were used to store rare and ancient scrolls, as well as several reading rooms and alcoves that scholars could use for quiet study and contemplation. It was becoming increasingly apparent that she would need some help if she intended to pursue this seriously.

Eir gathered up her notes and books and walked out of the medicine and healing section. She was just thinking about speaking to the chief librarian when she noticed Loki silently sitting in one of the alcoves, bent over a book. A spark of an idea entered her mind and she called out to him, "Hello Loki". He glanced up from his book and immediately stood up to greet her, "Good Evening, Lady Eir".

Eir acknowledged the greeting and got straight to the point. "Loki what would you think about helping me out with some library research for the rest of the week instead of the morning hours at the center?" she asked.

Loki seemed intrigued by this unusual request, "Research on what?" he asked. "Blood sickness in newborn infants", Eir replied. A flicker of understanding passed over his face at that – no doubt the news of the child's death had made the rounds of the palace by now. Manu and Rosna were well known within the royal circle as many of the noble folk of Asgard had commissioned artworks from the pair of accomplished artisans, some had even struck up friendships with them.

In fact, it was Minister Hema who had asked Eir to oversee the birth as a favour to her friend, Rosna, who was nervous about her first pregnancy. It was fairly common for births among the general populace of Asgard to be handled at home by an experienced family member. Nevertheless, Eir had agreed to the simple request thinking it would just be a routine delivery; she had not anticipated the tragic turn it would take.

"Well?" she pressed even though she already knew Loki's answer. He was never one to pass on an opportunity to bury himself in the royal library; it was one of his favourite places and he had been known to spend hours poring through the books, endlessly fascinated by a variety of subjects. He really was the perfect person for this job.

Loki nodded, "Alright, when do we start?"

* * *

Four days later Loki was waiting for Eir in one of the reading rooms. In all honesty, he was slightly disappointed with the results of his search. He had got a few of the library clerks to help him out once he realized the monumental nature of the task at hand and had even used text scanning spells as a last resort. He had no doubt done exactly what Eir had asked of him, all the books and scrolls that referenced the blood sickness were neatly stacked throughout the room. He had made notes and carefully catalogued the different sources of information in decreasing order of relevance. But he had not come across any information that he would classify as groundbreaking, it was all fairly vague and repetitive at best or completely misleading and irrelevant at worst.

Eir entered the room and took in her surroundings, "I see you've been quite busy, take me through what you have" she instructed.

Loki handed over a sheaf of notes, "The first three pages are all the references from the medicine and healing section – around thirty books and half a dozen manuscripts" he said as he gestured towards the stacks of books on the first desk in the room. "It's mostly the same list of symptoms over and over again and they all say it's fatal. The ones I have marked in the margin, those contain a complete case description."

Eir began skimming through the notes, her right index finger running down the list and magically highlighting certain lines in blue for later review. She motioned with her other hand for Loki to keep going.

"The rest of the sources are from outside the medicine and healing section, so I'm not sure how reliable they are", Loki continued. "That stack of books over there is from the history section – I found mentions of eleven historical figures that supposedly lost children to the blood sickness – one point worth noting they're not all from Asgard – I found three from Vanaheim, two from Alfheim and six from Asgard. Did you know that the famous Vanir explorer Luskadell is said to have lost two of his children to the illness?"

"You found mentions of the blood sickness among the light elves as well?" Eir asked skipping over Loki's question as the detail caught her attention. She already knew the affliction could affect both Aesir and Vanir children but she hadn't really heard of any cases from Alfheim. Though it wouldn't exactly be much of a stretch – the physiology of the light Elves wasn't significantly different compared to that of the Aesir and Vanir. But while the Aesir and Vanir were virtually indistinguishable due to several millennia of intermarriage between the two races, the light elves had largely preferred to marry within their own kind.

Loki seemed to hesitate, "Well they don't specifically name it as such but it definitely sounds like it." He snapped his fingers and two of the books from the pile gently flew into his hands. "See here", he said cracking them open to the bookmarked pages.

Eir bent over the books, her brow furrowed in concentration as she slowly deciphered the Elvish script. It was a language she had never achieved great fluency in, given that she had spent the first half of her life on Vanaheim and now the remaining half so far on Asgard. The complex script, convoluted grammar and superfluous prose of the light elves had always tried her patience.

 _"_ _I wish they would get to the point and just say what they mean but it seems like some kind of god awful competition amongst them to see who can write the most tedious book ever", she had once lamented to Frigga after painfully plodding through several medical texts from Alfheim that had been procured for the library of Asgard. Frigga had smiled in her usual kind and gentle manner and had then gone on to mischievously suggest that Eir try reading Elvish poetry if she thought the prose was tedious. Eir had smiled at that and retorted, "Oh let me add that to the list of hobbies to take up when I'm old and retired someday, back home on the beach – maybe then I'll have the luxury of whiling away my days reading Elvish poetry. But for now some of us actually have to work for a living, My Queen."_

 _Frigga had narrowed her eyebrows in mock anger, "Is this how you speak to your Queen? If you think it's so easy let's trade positions for the day. I'll go over to the medical center and boss around your assistants for the afternoon. And you can take over the four hour evening meeting I have with Minister Hadini, perhaps then you will build up your tolerance for tedious activities." Eir had quickly shot back, "Maybe you should ship Hadini off to Alfheim as some kind of ambassador. I bet he would fit in perfectly, who knows they may even crown him King". They had both burst into laughter at that point._

Loki watched Eir as she frowned down at the relevant passages. She finally looked back up and said, "As far as I can make out it does appear to be the same thing. But there's really not much detail to go by. Do any of the medical references cover cases from Alfheim?"

"No they don't, the case studies were all written by Aesir healers" Loki replied. "Hmm, alright – what else?" questioned Eir, as her eyes wandered over the remaining stacks of books in the room.

"I checked the Seidr section. I couldn't find anything of relevance though I did find some truly horrific blood curses and rituals", said Loki. "There's no chance that this isn't actually an illness but a curse of someone's doing right?" he asked seriously.

Eir shot him down, "Any seidr would leave some kind of trace, some signature. I could sense no foreign seidr or dark influence in the cases I have handled".

Loki shrugged, "I figured as much, that leaves us with Fiction and Mythology and those are all over the place", he rattled off – "It's just random chance, it's a cruel trick of the Norns, it's punishment for infidelity between parents of the child, it's an ancient Vanir curse directed at Aesir children, it's an ancient Aesir curse directed at Vanir children, it's an omen that predicts periods of famine, it's all caused by demonic snakes that live in secret underground lairs – take your pick."

"There's really not much about preventing or curing the illness either, just outdated rituals to appease the old Gods and some advice on living a life free from sin and vice. Oh and if you're ever in the mood for misery there's an entire sub-genre of tragic romance novels devoted to the theme of unfaithful couples whose children die at birth, that's several hours of my life I'm never getting back" Loki finished with a shudder.

"Well as intriguing as the idea of mythical demonic snakes sounds, I think we are better off just going through the medical case studies for now", said Eir with a wry smile. They spent the next hour reviewing the handful of cases that Loki had dug up. Loki paced around the room in circles while Eir sat at the desk carefully noting down the more promising lines of enquiry as they threw ideas back and forth.

Loki finally came to a stop and leaned on a pillar with a sigh of frustration, "The problem is there are not enough documented case studies. There's no way to narrow down our focus." "So what should be our next logical step?" asked Eir.

"Well we could collect more data; so we have a wider pool of cases to analyze. Maybe then we might find some kind of pattern", mused Loki. "And how would you set about doing that?" Eir questioned.

"By talking to lots of healers and asking them about cases in their experience", suggested Loki. Eir nodded encouragingly, "Conduct interviews with healers, that's a good thought, what else?" she quizzed automatically slipping into the role of teacher.

"Well we could also ask that all healers keep track of any future cases though it might take years to accumulate information that way, it's quite a rare illness right? Do we know exactly how rare?" Loki asked.

"What would be the best way to determine that?" Eir asked pointedly. She always preferred to draw out answers from her students rather than just feeding them knowledge. She found it interesting to hear their thought process and this way sometimes they even ended up surprising her with their ideas, making her re-examine her own understanding of a subject.

Loki stared down at his feet, lost in thought as he considered her question. He suddenly straightened up, his green eyes gleaming. "I'm an idiot. There's so much raw data just lying around already, we just need to go and check the records. But you've already thought of this, haven't you?" he accused Eir.

"I may have requested some information from the Vital Records Office a few days ago; they should be sending it over tomorrow. Birth and Death records are a good place to start our investigation, don't you agree?" she asked, keeping her face perfectly neutral even though she was quite amused by Loki's sudden realization that he was not the only person she had enlisted for help on this project.

She refrained from making a teasing comment about the arrogance of youth, probably because she was not yet so old that she couldn't remember the foolish overconfidence of her own younger days. Predictably, Loki had already moved past his initial indignation. "Yes, we are sure to find something useful there", he said eagerly, flashing his trademark grin.

* * *

Thor was waiting silently in the branches of the enormous old oak tree on the palace grounds. He glanced up at the horizon noting the position of the setting sun. The blazing orange disc had slipped further down the horizon; only the top half was visible now. He had been sitting in the tree for nearly half an hour now, he sighed in frustration.

Thor was definitely beginning to rethink his ill-considered wager with Fandral and was now wondering if the Warriors Three were playing some kind of prank on him. Perhaps Loki was also involved; this was exactly the kind of thing he knew his brother would find hilarious. Though thinking back, he realized he hadn't even seen Loki over the last couple of days. It had in fact been fairly calm and boring around the palace, which was in part why he had been so quick to accept Fandral's crazy challenge. However, when it came to Loki, Thor knew to always expect the unexpected.

Whatever the case, he decided the joke would be on them. He was going to climb back down and go back to the palace for an early dinner. He had no intention of foolishly waiting in this tree to see what they had planned. He adjusted his footing on a branch, about to start making his way down the tree, when he suddenly heard load shouts in the distance followed by the low thudding noise of heavy hooves. He focused his attention in the direction of the sounds, tense with the sudden realization that this was no prank and he was meant to go through with his stupid wager after all.

Soon enough Suri, the wildebeest appeared around the corner of the courtyard. His friends, the Warriors Three – Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg were chasing the beast with wooden sticks, shouting up a racket and herding her towards the oak tree. Suri was just a few yards away from the base of Thor's tree when Fandral shouted out, "Now's your chance, Thor!"

Crouched on the branch of the tree, Thor felt the familiar thrill of anticipation course through his veins as he gauged the speed of the approaching beast. He carefully positioned himself, mentally counting down the seconds; he would have to time this perfectly. He waited till the last possible moment, sending up a silent prayer before he finally leapt off the branch with a surprising amount of agility given his bulky build. He landed squarely on Suri's back and quickly leaned forward and grabbed hold of Suri's horns as she started in surprise.

Fandral and Volstagg whooped in delight. Thor smiled with grim satisfaction but he soon realized that the second part of the wager was going to be more difficult to pull off. He steered Suri in the direction of the training pitch, holding on tightly as Suri sped up in an attempt to throw him off.

The pitch and the surrounding area would usually be fairly deserted at this hour of the day but it seemed word of the wager had got around the palace. Thor was greeted by cheers as he reached the pitch with the Warriors Three following closely behind, calling out loud warnings. A good number of spectators were gathered on the small hilly mound that overlooked the pitch. They shouted out words of encouragement and made bets amongst themselves on how many rounds Thor would complete.

Thor managed the first few rounds fairly easily but then Suri put on another burst of speed in order to shake him off. It took all his strength to maintain his grip while still steering her in the right direction. "That's four rounds", announced Fandral.

 _"Just three more to win",_ Thor thought to himself. Suri suddenly decided to change tactics and started bucking wildly. She bent her knees towards the ground only to launch herself back into the air immediately. Thor nearly flew off Suri's back but he pressed his legs into her sides and somehow managed to hold on. The crowd gasped and then roared in admiration as Thor continued on course. They chanted his name and cheered him on.

"Five rounds", called out Fandral, Thor's face was set in determination but he was beginning to tire. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his arms and shoulders ached. Suri, the wildebeest, was proving to be one headstrong specimen. Halfway through the sixth round, she veered sharply and ran off course. She cut across the grounds towards the line of wooden boards that were used for target practice. _Crash – Crash – Crash!_ Suri smashed into the boards one by one. All Thor could do was hold on for dear life as she went on a rampage, completely destroying all the equipment in her way.

The Warriors Three moved in closer, shouting and banged their sticks on the ground in an attempt to herd Suri back onto the track. Thor could hear the distant roar of the crowd as Suri charged into a large wooden post. He was nearly unseated by the impact but recovered at the last moment by throwing his arms around Suri's neck, almost lying flat on her back to maintain balance. Thor could feel her rapid and powerful heartbeat under his hands. He heard her low bellowing over the noise of the crowd in the background.

 _"She's scared",_ Thor suddenly understood that it was all the noise that was driving her to panic. He called out to Hogun who was closest, "Stop all the shouting, we need silence". Hogun nodded, quickly instructing Fandral and Volstagg to back off. He ran back towards the crowd and ordered them to quiet down.

Thor pulled himself upright and tried to gently steer Suri away from the training equipment. She shook her head and snorted angrily as she crashed into yet another target and sent it flying. Thor slapped her lightly on the back and rubbed her neck, "Come on, calm down Suri", he urged. The crowd had gone quiet now and Suri finally began to slow down.

Thor continued patting her back and spoke to her in a slow and measured tone, "Now why don't we go that way, back onto the path away from all these obstacles? I know you must be tired by now too right?" Suri finally seemed to calm and she allowed him to steer her back to the dirt track. Fandral was standing at the corner with a grin of relief on his face, he winked at Thor as he passed and held up his hands with six fingers in the air.

Thor chuckled to himself, "Alright then, shall we win this bet?" he asked Suri. He rode on smoothly and this time she complied and continued running along the track at a steady, moderate pace. The crowd watched amazed as Thor completed the last round effortlessly.

Fandral pumped his fists into the air and called out, "That's seven, and he has done it. Prince Thor has tamed Suri, the untameable wildebeest!" It was quite a sight, everyone present watched spellbound as the Golden Prince of Asgard rode comfortably atop the magnificent animal. Thor looked positively radiant in the light of Asgard's glorious sunset, his blonde hair flying wildly in the breeze and his deep blue eyes sparkling with good humour; he looked every inch the prince he was.

At last Thor pulled Suri to a halt, a safe distance away from the mound the crowd was gathered on. He stopped to bask in the glory of the moment, but something was wrong. It was too silent, even Fandral had stopped talking. Thor turned and looked back taking in the royal mess Suri had left in her wake. The training ground looked like it had been hit by a tornado, what was left of the training equipment was messily strewn about in every direction. But everyone's attention was fixed on the imposing figure in red robes, standing at the edge of the pitch.

"What in Hel's name is going on over here?" yelled Odin.

* * *

 _So I finally managed to update this story that I started a few months ago, I'm hoping to be more regular with my posts now that I have most of the main story lines plotted out. Do let me know what you think – how do you feel about Eir and Loki teaming up? Did you like Thor's introduction? Any comments or criticism would be greatly appreciated :)_


	4. Midnight Memories

**Midnight Memories**

Odin was most definitely not amused. Thor and the Warriors Three had been summoned to the throne room. The Allfather frowned down at all of them from where he was seated on the throne; his one good eye narrowed in displeasure. Thor and his friends bowed their heads, fully prepared for a harsh and lengthy lecture from the Allfather. After all they had been caught red handed by Odin himself.

"So tell me whose bright idea this particular stunt was?" Odin asked coldly. Thor and the Warriors Three exchanged a quick glance, surprised by this direct line of questioning. Technically the wager had been Fandral's idea but Thor had agreed to it almost instantly, and Volstagg and Hogun had joined in soon after.

None of them felt inclined to start talking as they knew it would be child's play for Odin to see through any excuses or lies they could come up with. On this particular occasion they didn't even have Loki with them to spin his stories and distract from the issue at hand. Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg remained silent adhering to their general unspoken agreement; they would share the blame if necessary but they wouldn't rat each other out.

Odin just waited; he fixed them with the same intimidating stare that was enough to unnerve even the most experienced politicians and diplomats. The Allfather had never gotten into the habit of repeating his questions. He would ask only once. Thor finally spoke up once the silence had become unbearable, "I'm sorry father – it was my idea. I take responsibility for whatever damage has been caused."

Odin raised one eyebrow quizzically, " _Really that's how you want to play it" –_ his expression seemed to ask. Fandral seemed to be about to say something, but Thor quickly stepped in front of his three friends, firmly met Odin's gaze and nodded.

"Alright then Thor, I'm revoking all of your privileges – no trips to the city, no horse riding, no hunting, no games or competitions – in fact for the next three weeks, you are not to step foot outside the palace grounds", said Odin. Thor nodded; he had seen this coming. The only thing he had been unsure about had been the duration of the punishment.

 _"_ _Three weeks is survivable"_ , Thor thought to himself though he knew he would be bored out of his mind before the end of it. But Odin wasn't finished yet, "And for participating in the proceedings you will all spend two hours each day personally fixing and rebuilding everything that was damaged today till it is all restored", he ordered waving his hands towards the Warriors Three as well. Thor's friends bowed silently and Odin gestured for them to leave.

Thor was somewhat relieved; all things considered they had gotten off fairly easily. He made to follow his friends as they walked out of the throne room but Odin called him back, "Wait Thor, I want to speak with you alone." He felt his heart sink in his chest; this was definitely going to be unpleasant.

Thor steeled himself and faced his father. Odin had an inscrutable expression on his face. Somehow his father still had the ability to make him feel like he was just five centuries old even though Thor was now old enough that he was nearly of age as per Asgardian tradition. He was working his way towards earning the final mark of adulthood – the title of Warrior.

"It was mature of you to own responsibility today but do you know what would have been really mature? Not letting your friends egg you into doing it in the first place. It was dangerous and stupid. Is this how you plan to run things when you are king? Making rash, childish wagers all the time without a second thought?" Odin asked sternly.

Thor looked up in surprise. Odin shook his head, "Do you take me for a fool boy? One of Fandral's harebrained schemes to earn some easy gold I suppose?" Odin always did have an uncanny knack for hitting the nail right on the head. Thor had noticed Fandral collecting money from the crowd and guessed that he had probably made bets on several different outcomes; Fandral had looked far too happy back at the training pitch for someone who had just lost a wager.

Thor stayed quiet, neither confirming nor denying Odin's assumption. He couldn't really find it in himself to be too annoyed at his friend. When in truth, he had been just as eager to accept the wager for the sake of an exciting challenge. Odin sighed in frustration at Thor's stubborn silence. He relented and tried a gentler approach, "Thor, I was once young too, I can understand the draw of an exciting challenge. But you are a prince of Asgard, you need to think before you act, you need to weigh all the risks, especially before doing something so dangerous."

"It wasn't really that dangerous, all of Chief Chartak's men have been trying it too. I knew I could do it father and I did. I managed to tame Suri", Thor argued. He was growing tired of Odin's constant lectures on responsibility, and it rankled how he was being treated like a disobedient young child rather than a young man who was capable of facing a challenge head on. Out there on the grounds the crowd had cheered in admiration, but in here he always seemed to be met with Odin's disappointed gaze.

"It's not always about you boy!," Odin snapped, losing his temper. " What if one of the bystanders had been hurt, or Norns forbid one of your friends? Would it have been worth it then? Actions have consequences and you might not be the one to pay the price. I thought you had already learned this lesson after the debacle with the dwarves but it seems you have not. Have you no concern for anyone other than yourself?" he demanded.

This was a low blow, he had not expected his father to bring up events from over a century ago. In the aftermath of that terrible incident, the whole royal family had seemingly come to a mutual understanding that they would never speak of it again. Friends, courtiers, palace staff and the citizens of Asgard had all followed their lead and refrained from discussing it, at least not in their presence.

But now Odin had seen fit to throw it in his face without any warning. Thor stood rooted to the spot, his blood turning to ice in his veins, reliving his guilt and shame from that day. He clenched his jaw and stared down at the polished floor of the throne room.

"I apologize for speaking out of turn. You are right, I did not think it through. I will attempt to do better in the future, to be a worthy Prince of Asgard", he said tonelessly. Anything to be done with this conversation, he couldn't bear to stand there facing Odin for another minute. Not when he was reminded that this was the exact same room where it had happened, where he had just stood by in horrified silence while… No he needed to get away before he suffocated in this bloody room!

"I hope you mean that Thor, it's high time you took your position seriously. You are soon going to be declared a warrior of Asgard. The people will look up to you, many already do. You must set a better example for your citizens, friends, and for your brother as well." With that final parting shot Odin dismissed him at last.

Thor bowed and made a quick exit; it wasn't till he was back in his private chambers that he felt like he could breathe again. But by then guilt and shame had given way to burning rage. How dare Odin stand there and accuse him as though he had the higher moral ground? When in fact it was the Allfather who had made the final decision on that ill-fated day, Odin who had sat there on his throne and pronounced the cold hearted verdict that had nearly broken their family.

"Hateful, spiteful old man!", Thor cursed as he kicked out at his furniture in anger. In moments like these he truly hated Odin and his manipulative ways. One of these days he was going to lose control and just punch his father in the face. He wondered what Odin's reaction would be then. Thor liked to imagine Odin would be shaken or shocked but he could just as easily imagine Odin just dispassionately ordering the guards to take him to the dungeons for daring to commit an assault against the throne.

Thor paced back and forth in his quarters, thoughts swirling through his head in a furious jumble. He longed to get away from the palace; a long horse ride would usually help clear his mind. But he was now confined to the palace grounds for the next three weeks with no way of escaping his father's eyes. Even if he managed to get past the palace staff and guards there was no way to elude Heimdall, the All-seeing and All-hearing Guardian of Asgard.

When Thor finally flung himself down onto his bed later that night he felt completely spent. He had missed dinner in order to avoid Odin and the hollow ache of hunger only added to his misery. In spite of how tired he was, he still felt far too restless to give in to sleep. He knew well enough the exact nightmare the treacherous Maras of the Dream Realm would have in store for him tonight and he intended to hold off on sleep for as long as he could.

Thor heard a quiet knock on his bedroom door. He jumped up wondering if his father had come to subject him to another round of reprimands, though he guessed it was probably his mother come to play peacemaker as always. He opened the door and found himself face to face with Loki instead. "What do you want?" Thor grumbled.

"Still sulking, I see. Come now brother, if you continue in this vein you will have frown lines by the time you are two thousand. Who will marry you then if you ruin your handsome looks? Heaven forbid you have to fall back on wit and charm to win over the fair maidens ," teased Loki. "Forgive me if I'm not in the mood for your mockery tonight," Thor warned his brother. After his father, Loki was probably a close second on the list of people he did not wish to speak with at the moment.

Loki raised his hands in a placating motion, "Alright, alright, look I come bearing gifts," he held out a tin dish that contained half a meat pie and a large piece of plum cake. Thor snorted at that, but he stepped back from the door and allowed his brother to enter. Loki set the dish down on Thor's bed and perched himself comfortably on Thor's windowsill. Thor closed the door with more force than was strictly necessary and sat back against the head of his bed, pointedly turned away from Loki as well as the offering of food.

"So how long did you get? Six weeks? A month?", Loki asked. "Three weeks," Thor answered grudgingly. "And I have to help fix all the damaged training equipment as well."

"Pshaw! That's nothing, three weeks ought to fly by in no time. Seems Allfather has grown quite soft in his old age," said Loki with a cheeky smile. _"No he is just as harsh as always",_ Thor thought to himself but he couldn't bring himself to say anything about his father's cutting words. He knew any mention of that forbidden topic would be sure to wipe the smile off Loki's face and ruin his mood instantly. And unlike his father, Thor took no pleasure in rubbing salt into open wounds so he kept his mouth shut.

Ignoring Thor's sullen silence Loki continued, "But tell me brother, how did you manage to tame Suri the wildest of wildebeests? The whole palace is buzzing with tales of your daring stunt. I heard it was so thrilling that Lady Salma swooned seven times, once for each round you completed. And Deosan told me just how honoured he was that you were the one to beat his standing record of five rounds."

"Five rounds , my ass! He wouldn't even dare approach within five fathom lengths of Suri", scoffed Thor.

Loki chuckled at that, "I think we can both agree that the only undisputed record that Deosan holds is in his ability to cook up tall boasts", he said.

Somewhat mollified, Thor cracked a grin and began describing the evening's exploits with some degree of relish. He waved his hands around animatedly, gesturing wildly, only pausing occasionally to gulp down a few bites of the meat pie. If Thor narrated a mildly embellished version of events, Loki did not challenge him on the details. Instead he simply sat back against the frame of the window sill, listening with amusement and responding with appropriate enthusiasm at all the key points of the story.

"Of course, once I realized that it was the noise that was distressing Suri, it was all too easy to calm her down and steer her back onto the track", Thor concluded, licking the last crumbs of pie from his fingers.

"Well, nothing like a wildebeest rampage to break up the monotony of a lazy summer evening. In fact I'm quite hurt that you and Fandral didn't include me in your schemes. I could have raked in piles of gold if you had let me in on the betting pool", Loki remarked wryly.

"Knowing you, you would have probably spent all your winnings on some ancient artefact or rare book anyway. Or worse on some ridiculous magical jewellery that doesn't even work", Thor joked.

Loki gasped in mock outrage, "I'll have you know the Ring of Peril works just fine". Loki had purchased the ring in question at their last Annual City Festival. The stall owner, a colourfully dressed old woman, had assured the young prince that the ring would warn the wearer of any and all approaching perils. Loki had bought it on a whim simply because he liked the striking design of the bright sapphire stone set into an engraved silver ring.

"Oh really, did the ring warn you to keep away from the river, because if I recall correctly you somehow managed to fall into the Rival Vyalli that very same evening?", asked Thor.

"A bit of water is hardly peril you dummy! And it was you and your friends who thought it would be funny to push me in! If anything the ring should have warned me to stay away from drunken idiots," Loki shot back.

"It was worth it for the look on your face brother", Thor broke down into laughter at the memory of Loki in his regal festival robes, sopping wet and cursing up a storm. As pranks went, it had been a fairly harmless one given that Loki was one of the strongest swimmers in all of Asgard and could easily swim across the banks of the Vyalli in record time.

Loki crossed his arms and glared at him from the window sill. He raised his right hand, "Keep laughing and I just might decide to turn all your hair blue Thor," he threatened. Thor raised his hands in surrender, "Alright here, a token of peace," he said as he broke the piece of plum cake into two and held out the larger piece to Loki.

Loki promptly grabbed the offered piece of cake. They sat in companionable silence, both munching on the sweet, juicy plum cake. Thor glanced across at his brother who looked impossibly young in the star light and was hit by a wave of nostalgia.

He still remembered how Loki would sneak into his bedroom at night when they were children, how they would stay up playing and talking for hours. Loki would demand sweets and stories and then more sweets and sometimes Thor would be able to bribe him into going back to his own room eventually. But more often than not, Frigga would walk into Thor's room in the morning to find both her sons sound asleep in Thor's bed, sprawled out in the comical positions that young children somehow always manage to fall asleep in.

"I miss this… Our midnight feasts; I can't remember the last time we did this," Thor confessed. Loki tore his gaze away from the stars and swivelled back towards Thor. A strange light seemed to enter his green eyes, but his mouth twisted up into a wistful smile.

"What mischief have you been up to lately? I've barely even seen you all week," asked Thor. Loki laughed softly, "I have been serving out my own punishment for the prank on Hadini last week," he replied.

Thor sniggered, "Yes Sif told me about evening assembly, how long did you get for that?", he asked. "Thankfully Major Kani let me off with just one week. Mostly just been doing some research for Lady Eir. If I spend one more day cooped up in the library I think I might just go mad," Loki admitted. Thor raised his eyebrows at that, "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?," he demanded playfully.

"It's this infernal hot weather, you know it always makes me restless," said Loki. Thor nodded, restlessness he could understand. Why else had he taken Fandral's bait, wrecked half the training pitch and gotten himself into hot water with Odin, if not restlessness.

Thor groaned and flopped back onto his bed, "I wish father would be kind enough to leave all my punishments up to Major Kani too, he is so much more lenient. Kani would never think to have Heimdall watching my every move, for one. I'm definitely going to die of boredom before my three weeks are up."

There was no answer from Loki. Too late he realized his mistake. Thor looked up to see his brother sitting frozen on the window sill, his face drawn into a pained frown. He was about to quickly apologize for his thoughtless words, when Loki waved his hand jerkily and cut him off. "Leave it! It's getting late, I think I'll go to bed now", he said getting up abruptly and moving to leave the room.

"Wait!", said Thor. Loki stopped with one hand on the door knob, "What?", he whispered. Thor hesitated, a dozen different heartfelt apologies and regrets running though his mind but he knew they would all fall short, he knew this wasn't something that could be fixed with words, so he just sighed and finally said, "Good night brother".

Loki opened the door and turned back to face him, Thor couldn't quite make out his expression in the darkness. "Good Night / Sleep Well / If the Night Maras bite / Send them all to Hel," Loki recited without a hint of humour. And then he was gone shutting the door softly behind him. Thor slumped back down against his pillows. He knew the old children's rhyme would offer no protection against his nightmares tonight and he was left wondering just how much worse they would be for Loki.

* * *

The next day, Loki stood underneath the wide canopy of the teaching pavilion in order to avoid the blazing heat of the late afternoon sun. Eir was sitting in the shade as well and chatting amiably with his Uncle Fenni while they waited for the arrival of the documents from the Vital Records Office. Uncle Fenni had just dismissed his last class of the day and most of his young students had dispersed out of the teaching pavilion and were now playing on the nearby grounds.

Loki heard the soft clip clop of hooves, he looked up to see an official messenger riding towards them. The messenger stopped a little distance away and untied a large package from the back of the horse. He approached the pavilion and carefully laid it down on the ground. "The records you requested, Lady Eir," he said. Eir signed a scroll acknowledging receipt of the package before dismissing him with her thanks.

Loki knelt down beside the bulky package and began unwrapping it, he uncovered a large sheaf of parchments along with several official record books bound in black. Eir joined him and started sorting through the records. Uncle Fenni walked over as well and let out a low whistle, "Well looks like we have our work cut out for us," he said.

* * *

 ** _It's been a while since I updated this fic but I haven't abandoned this story. Would love to hear from you, so do let me know your thoughts on this chapter._**


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